The Brain and Beyond Podcast

Take 15 minutes to breathe, invite curiosity, balance your mind, and ... experience presence. Maybe you're noticing a theme between the last few episodes and Everyday Mindfulness practices: something about you having more agency and power in your life than the common narratives want you to believe. After all, it's harder for them to meet their goals when you, as the saying goes, are the product. Thanks to wisdom guide and Buddhist scholar/teacher Pamela Weiss for her many sparks of i...

Some of us are already bracing ourselves for the conflict and tension anticipated in the upcoming 2024 US elections. Yet we don't have to wait 'til then for the escalation of polarizing political – and media – triggers that seem to show up wherever we look. And often, uncomfortably close to home. This episode shares the unique, bridge-building perspectives of author, activist, and Braver Angel Mónica Guzmán, whose bestselling book, I Never Thought of it That Way," guides new ways of think...

This episode explores the binary – or better yet, the lack thereof – when it comes to sexual and gender identity. Celebrating PRIDE and the activist spirit of transgender entrepreneur, community leader, and family man Nat Stratton-Clarke, this special interview weaves in perspectives from social science and biology to support the life-affirming power of a gender spectrum... one on which we all have a unique and important place. Be sure to visit the Episode Page at www.thebrainandbey...

I didn't leave anything on the table with this one. Yes, there's neuroscience. There's definitely balance. And ... maybe ... there's even hope. Maybe. Because this episode lays out what I think is the most important opportunity we humans have to face the "poly-crises" we're currently addressing and rethink our place in a future we want to be part of. That belief stems from a growing understanding of the differences between the hemispheres of the brain and what we left behi...

This episode continues where Episode 5 left off – moving from the "Mindsets" of world-changing activist, restauranteur, and non-profit visionary Alice Waters to the "Skillsets" that have shaped her extraordinary life – and balanced brain. Using Alice's fierce "Slow Food Manifesto" as a framework, this episode examines the difference between the brain's two hemispheres in ways that show a concerning correlation between her "Fast Food Values" – more like an aggressive agenda – and the rise of...

This is the first episode to feature an interview – and what a person to speak with. Alice Waters is an icon – a catalyst shaping the US Farmers Market, Slow Food, Farm to Table, and many other movements that champion both our health and the health of our planet. She's also the visionary founder of Chez Panisse, the legendary Berkeley, CA restaurant that challenged assumptions about what a restaurant might be, and won the many accolades that affirm its place in the history of cuisine. Thi...

Understanding how the brain ages is a cause for concern to many – especially since we are all, well... aging. That's how life works. Yet research points to a surprising "Aha!" about how mindful practices might support brain health in a meaningful way at any life chapter. Listen in for the science going on in the grey stuff of the brain so you can direct your thoughts toward perhaps making it healthier, through all the years. Be sure to try the short, easy visualizati...

Here are five important insights about the brain that might come in handy as you navigate this thing called life – and especially as you look to update habits or reset outdated ways of doing things. Pay special attention to Tip #5 ... it's a great one to have around if you're ready to make changes in your thoughts, behaviors, or ways of seeing the world. This is my inaugural episode (hooray!) so I'm very thankful to have you here. Please subscribe so you're first to know about future episod...